The NDP provincial government has ordered the City of Surrey to proceed with the Surrey Police Service and abandon its plan to retain the Surrey RCMP as the cityB次元官网网址檚 police of jurisdiction.
Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth confirmed this Wednesday, acting in accordance with Section 2 of the Police Act, during a press conference in Victoria.
B次元官网网址淭his decision is the final decision,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 fully expect the elected government in Surrey will follow the law.
B次元官网网址淚 know that this is an extraordinary use of my powers under the Police Act, and I did not make this decision lightly.B次元官网网址�
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke could not be immediately reached for comment. The cityB次元官网网址檚 communications department issued a statement attributed to her, in which she decried FarnworthB次元官网网址檚 decision as B次元官网网址渄isappointing, misguided and based on inaccurate assumptions.
B次元官网网址淲hat has occurred today is the undermining of a local government duly elected by its residents. The actions of the Solicitor General should serve as a warning to the autonomy of all municipalities in B.C.,B次元官网网址� Locke added.
Farnworth noted that SurreyB次元官网网址檚 police of jurisdiction currently is still the RCMP. B次元官网网址淚t will get to a point where the police of jurisdiction will transition to the Surrey Police Service. What IB次元官网网址檓 making clear today is that I am directing that that transition is going to continue toward the Surrey Police Service.B次元官网网址�
After considering a recent corporate report from the City of Surrey, Farnworth found the city failed to make its case that sticking with the RCMP will be safe, would not adversely affect other B.C. communities, and that it did not meet conditions the provincial government imposed on the process.
Do you agree with the province's decision to order to proceed with the Surrey Police Service?
B次元官网网址� Surrey Now-Leader (@SurreyNowLeader)
B次元官网网址淧eopleB次元官网网址檚 safety, in Surrey and across the province, is non-negotiable,B次元官网网址� Farnworth said Wednesday. B次元官网网址淭he city has failed to meet the requirements I placed to prevent a situation where there are not enough police officers to keep people safe in Surrey. We cannot allow people in Surrey or in other communities to be put at risk.
B次元官网网址淏ritish Columbians need to know that when they call the police, help will come and people in Surrey want this uncertainty over who will police their city to end, and to know that they will be safe in their community.B次元官网网址�
This latest development has been nearly five years in the making. At the former Surrey councilB次元官网网址檚 inaugural meeting on Nov. 5th, 2018 the council, led by then-mayor Doug McCallum and his Safe Surrey Coalition majority, served notice in a unanimous decision to the provincial and federal governments that it was ending its contract with the RCMP B次元官网网址� which has policed these parts since May 1, 1951 B次元官网网址� to set up its own force.
A schism in councilB次元官网网址檚 ranks several months later saw councillors Brenda Locke, Jack Hundial and Steven Pettigrew part ways with the SSC, with Locke and Hundial eventually forming Surrey Connect. The three pulled their support from the policing transition, perceiving a lack of accountability and transparency in the process.
Locke then ran for mayor, campaigning to stick with the RCMP, and defeated McCallum in the Oct. 15, 2022 civic election.
She then used her majority on council to reverse the 2018 decision and put the provincial government on notice that it decided to keep the RCMP. Months later, Farnworth staged a press conference that Surrey continue to proceed with building the SPS, to the chagrin of Locke and her majority who responded by re-affirming in a 6-3 vote on June 15 that it would continue with the RCMP, arguing that it was SurreyB次元官网网址檚 decision to make.
Farnworth concluded, based on documents provided by the City of Surrey, that the city and RCMP are not able to B次元官网网址減revent an exodusB次元官网网址� of SPS officers or sufficiently staff-up Surrey RCMPB次元官网网址檚 ranks without drawing Mounties from other communities.
B次元官网网址淭he Surrey Police Service is the only path forward to ensuring the safety of the people of Surrey, as well as people across the province, and for putting in place the long-term, stable policing they needB次元官网网址� Farnworth said. B次元官网网址淓ffective collaboration between the city, the Surrey Police Service and the RCMP is essential to continue the transition, and I have made it clear to all parties that I expect them to work together to achieve our common goal of safety for people in Surrey.B次元官网网址�
A financial analysis commissioned by FarnworthB次元官网网址檚 ministry concluded the Surrey Police Service would cost roughly $30 million more per year than the RCMP but the provincial government B次元官网网址渞emains committed to providing $150 million to help offset these additional costs,B次元官网网址� a provincial government document indicates.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just not safe to go backwards,B次元官网网址� Farnworth said. B次元官网网址淚t is time to turn the page on this difficult chapter and come together to write a new one.B次元官网网址�
Farnworth added he plans to propose legislation in the fall to ensure that B次元官网网址渁 situation like this never happens again.B次元官网网址�
Meantime, Locke added in her statement that itB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渧ery clearB次元官网网址� the city never had a choice in this matter.
B次元官网网址淲e had a choice so long as we chose Minister FarnworthB次元官网网址檚 option,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲hat is equally frustrating is the amount of time it has taken for the Solicitor General to arrive at this point. His eight-month delay has now cost Surrey taxpayers more than $60 million.B次元官网网址�
Locke said she will meet with council and city staff in coming days to explore the cityB次元官网网址檚 options.
B次元官网网址淚 will also be asking for a face-to-face meeting with the minister to understand how he intends to compensate the significant tax burden that will be placed on Surrey residents and businesses as a result of his decision to continue with the Surrey Police Service,B次元官网网址� she added.
B次元官网网址淯ntil I have the opportunity to have those meetings, I will not be commenting further.B次元官网网址�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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